Napkin and the like



.Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,085

- D. w. HUDSON NRPKIN AND THE LIKE Filed April 6. 1925 Fig.4. 'Figs. Fig.6.

Patented Feb. 7,1928.

UNITED STATES DAVID WILLIAM HUD SON, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

- NAPKIN AND LIKE.

Application filed April 6, 1925. serial na amoe.

This invention relates to improvements in napkins and the like. More particularly stated, this invention relates to improvements in paper napkins and packages thereof, and the invention resides particularly in the peculiar manner in which the napkins are folded.

There are many kinds of napkin dispensers on the market. One type of dispenser comprises a case of some sort with an opening through which the napkins may be withdrawn. Another type of dispenser comprises a series of upright posts between which the napkins are confined in a pile so that the top napkin of the pile may be with-- drawn. In many lunch rooms dispensers art not used at all and the folded na kins are simply placed in a tumbler or arge drinking glass from which the customers may withdraw their own napkins. Where dispensers are used it is usually for the purpose of kee%ing the napkins clean and making it possi 1e and likely that the user will touch or come in contact with only the single napkin which he is withdrawing for his own purposes. Many such containers have a ve limited capacity and are filled frequent y by the introduction of comparatively small portions of the original napkin package. Y

Foremost among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a napkin so folded as to lend itself readily to use in any of the three dispensing methods outlined at above. In other words, it is my purpose to provide a napkin so folded as to fit within a container or dispenser in a position to be readily grasped by the user; to fit readily within a container of the type having upright posts; and to be receivable with either bler.

Itis my further object to provide a napl kin which is so folded as to provide a porw tion readily subject to grasp by the user and so disposed with reference to the body of the napkin that the top napkin in a dispenser may be withdrawn without touching and without any likelihood of touching other napkins in the devicei I I It is my further object to package napkins having the aforesaid characteristicsin such a manner that the entire package or container is recewable 1n the dlspenser and may be allowed to remain therein pending the withdrawal of its contents.

In the drawings:

I Figure 1 is a perspective view of a napkin package embodying this invention and operatively mounted in a dispenser of the cabinet or case type, portions of the container and dispenser being broken away to expose the napkins therein.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an open package of napkins embodying this invention operatively mounted in the four-post type of dispenser.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view in plan of the well known quarter folded na kin, in which further folds are made to pro uce the napkin of this invention.

Figure 4 shows the napkin after a further fold has been made therein to reduce it to triangular form.

Figure 5 shows in plan the completed napkin embodying this invention.

Figure 6 is a'diagrammatic view taken in section on the line indicated at 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view similar to Figure 6, showing a slightly modified fold embodying this invention.

Like parts are-identified by the same ref- 'ence characters throughout the several views.

In Figure 3 I have illustrated the well known quarter folded napkin, which is made by taking a square napkin and folding it in two directions on the median lines parallel to its sides. For convenience two opposite corners of this napkin. will be designated with reference characters 10 and 11.

The quarter folded napkin is folded on its iidiagonal 12 to bring into superposed relaend uppermost in a drinking glass or tumtion the corners 10 and 11. The napkin as it appears at this stage of the folding operation is shown in Figure 4.. To complete the napkin of this invention a further fold is made at 13 along a line substantially midway between the apex represented by corners 10 and 11 of the napkin and the base line represented by fold line 12 thereof. The fold line 13 is preferably exactly parallel to the base of the isosceles triangle into which the napkin was folded by the first operation above described. The extent to which the apex of the triangle is made to overlap the lower portion thereof is immaterial, but in order -to make the napkin as compact as posslble and to elongate as far as possible the parallelism of sides 12 and 13, the apex directions upon" parallel and substantiallysuperposed lines 13 and 13. In other words, the corner or flap 10 is folded in precisely' the manner in which it appears in Flgures 5 and 6, and the only difference between the two folds consists in the fact that corner 11 is shown in Figure 7 to be folded in an opposite direction upon a line 13 corresponding to the fold line 13 of flap 10. The Figure 7 construction has the advantage that inasmuch as its flap portions 10 and 11 are on opposite sides of the folded napkin the napkin may be grasped readily regardless of which side is uppermost. This, however, is obviously a matter of comparatively minor convenience, since the napkins are packaged with corresponding sides uppermost, and it is a comparatively easy matter so to place a package of napkins of the Figure 5 variety in a receptacle in such a manner that the superposed flaps 10 and 11 are exposed.

A further difference between the two folds arises from the fact that in the Figure 5 construction both corners 10 and 11 are grasped simultaneously, and consequently the napkin must be withdrawn from the container in a folded condition, the fold at 12 being kept from opening by the fact that the corners are both grasped by the person withdrawing the napkin. In the Figure 7 construction it will be obvious that the napkin is free to open up during its withdrawal from the container.

- The napkins shown in Figures 1 and 2 may I be taken to be folded either in accordance with Figures 5 and 6 or with Figure 7, since but one flap is visible atall events in the folded napkin.

In Figure 1 the dispenser comprises a base 15 upon which the'body 16 is supported. The body 16 comprises side walls 17, a rear wall 18 and front wall portions 19, the latter terminating in substantially vertical margins at 20 to provide a central dispensing opening at the front of the device. The dispenser is preferably open at its top and is of a size to receive bodily a carton or container 25 holding a package of napkins constructed with lines of perforations at 26 and 27 spaced apart at substantially the distance of margins 20 of the dispenser. Thereby the entire central front portion 28 of the maining napkins in the package are protected from the contact which would result if the margins of the napkin were grasped.

The dispenser shown in F i "are 2 com prises a base 30 from which our posts 31 extend vertically in a manner to define the corners of an imaginary rectangular prism. The napkin is peculiarly adapted for use with this type of dispenser for the reason that the relatively sharp acute angles formed by the convergence of its side margins 32 with the fold line 12 are well adapted to be received between posts such as those illustrated at 31 and to be confined therebyagainst any lateral displacement. It will be obvious that with the napkins disposed on this type of dispenser the exposed flap of the napkin is in a position to be grasped readily by the user to withdraw a single napkin from the top of the stack or package.

Furthermore, as above explained, the napkin is particularly adapted to be received within a tumbler to be dispensed in the manner commonly in use in lunch rooms. The only reason for folding the apex of the triangle shown in Figure 4 to the center line of the base portion of such triangle and thereby making fold lines 12 and 13 parallel, lies in the desirability of making a napkin which will be receivable with either end uppermost into a tumbler. At present it is customary to fold the napkins to a cornucopia shape when they are to be dispensed from a tumbler. This shape, however, is relatively difiicult to package economically because it does not lend itself to the use of parallel sided containers or cartons. In the present device the fold lines 12 and 13 are sufliciently close together and the width of the completed napkin is consequentl so reduced as to make the napkin receivab e within a tumbler. The parallel fold lines or side margins 12 and 13 of the completed napkin not only facilitate the packaging of the napkin but also result in making it possible to insert the napkin into the tumbler with either end uppermost.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of napkins embodying this invention that the objects aforesaid are fully satisfied and that a napkin has been produced which can not only be packaged readily but which lends itself to each of the three principal known methods of dispensing napkins, and at the same time has a portion presented to the user in a manner to be readily grasped and thereby to facilitate the withdrawal of the napkin.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a quarter folded napkin folded on its diagonal to triangular form and having' the respective layers of its apex folded outwardly in opposite directions and comprising exposed triangular flaps with their respectlve apices projecting toward the fold on said diagonal, with the reverse fold of said flaps being adapted so to reduce the transverse diameters of the folded napkin as to make it receivable in a tumbler or other dispenser While providing readily accessible means for asping the napkin from either side, wherey said napkin is adapted for use in connection with a wide variety of dispensing practices and means.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a folded napkin of trapezium form comprising a quarter folded napkin folded on its diagonal to triangular form and having the respective layers of its apex reversly folded upon corresponding lines substantially par allel to the fold on said diagonal, said reversely folded layers comprism triangular flaps exposed on op osite sides 0 the napkin and projecting in t e direction of said fold on the dia onal, whereby to serve as means available rom any oint for gras ing and opening such a nap in without 'dlsturbing other napkins which might be associated therewith.

DAVID WILLIAM HUDSON. 

